At the height of the Separatist Crisis, a scheme was hatched by the Confederacy of Independent Systems to assassinate Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. This assassination plot targeted Amidala, a prominent detractor of the Military Creation Act which advocated for the establishment of an army for the Galactic Republic. She became a target upon her arrival on Coruscant to cast a vote on the bill, a maneuver orchestrated by Darth Sidious to guarantee its passage. Zam Wesell, an associate of bounty hunter Jango Fett, carried out the attempt. Fett, in turn, was acting under the orders of Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Dooku's motivation was to secure the support of Nute Gunray and the Trade Federation, contingent on Amidala's death. Despite the attempt's failure, some of Amidala's companions perished. Consequently, the Jedi High Council entrusted Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, with the senator's protection. Later that evening, Wesell launched another assassination attempt, deploying venomous kouhuns via the droid ASN-121. However, the two Jedi thwarted this effort, pursuing Wesell across Coruscant until Fett intervened, eliminating her to safeguard their secrets. This event initiated an investigation that led Kenobi to Kamino, unveiling a secretly created clone army intended for the Republic. This army was designated the Grand Army of the Republic and saw action during the First Battle of Geonosis, which ignited the Clone Wars. ## Prelude ### Formation of a grudge As a human native of the Mid Rim planet Naboo, Padmé Amidala had recently ascended to the position of Queen when her homeworld faced a threat from the Trade Federation due to new taxation policies imposed by the Galactic Republic through Prop 31-814D. Following an attack on Jedi ambassadors Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, who were dispatched by Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum to peacefully resolve the dispute, the Trade Federation blockaded and invaded Naboo. Jinn and Kenobi aided Amidala, along with a contingent of guards and handmaidens, in escaping to Coruscant, the Republic's capital, where Amidala appealed to the Galactic Senate for assistance. The Senate's inaction prompted Senator Sheev Palpatine, Naboo's representative, to encourage Amidala to initiate a Vote of No Confidence against Chancellor Valorum. Subsequently, Amidala, accompanied by her entourage and the Jedi, returned to Naboo, determined to liberate her world. Forming an alliance with the native Gungans, led by Boss Rugor Nass, Amidala spearheaded a three-pronged assault. During the subsequent Battle of Naboo, Amidala, with the assistance of Captain Quarsh Panaka, personally apprehended Trade Federation leader Viceroy Nute Gunray within Theed Royal Palace. Following Palpatine's election as Supreme Chancellor due to Amidala's actions, Gunray faced trial by the Galactic Republic. These events fostered a personal vendetta in Gunray against Amidala. Despite multiple trials, Gunray was repeatedly acquitted for the invasion because Naboo continued to file appeals. In 28 BBY, Amidala's reign concluded after two terms. Her successor, Queen Réillata, requested Amidala to assume the role of Senator for the Chommell sector, succeeding Oshadam, who had followed Palpatine as Chancellor. Amidala accepted, traveling to Coruscant with her new handmaidens, Cordé, Dormé, and Versé, and a security team led by Captain Mariek Panaka and Sergeant Gregar Typho, Quarsh Panaka's wife and nephew, respectively. Typho eventually became the commander of Amidala's security detail. Weeks into Amidala's senatorial term, nearing the conclusion of her orientation, an assassination attempt targeted her. Her assigned NON protocol droid, NON-3, was reprogrammed to guide her into a section of the Galactic Senate Building scheduled for demolition that day. Suspecting foul play, Amidala chose to disguise herself, while Cordé, recruited as a body double, tested her impersonation of the Senator for the first time. Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa intervened, having noticed Amidala's speeder traveling below safety limits, saving Amidala and Cordé. Organa instructed NON-3 to undergo maintenance, after which the Naboo delegation never saw the droid again. News outlets, especially the Trade Federation-affiliated TriNebulon News, portrayed Amidala negatively, with few reputable sources even mentioning the malfunctioning droid. Given the Trade Federation's affinity for droids, Amidala and her team suspected their involvement in the assassination attempt. ### The Sith conspiracy The Invasion of Naboo was secretly part of a conspiracy more sinister than the Trade Federation and tax-free trade zones. Viceroy Gunray and his associates acted at the behest of Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith. The Sith, wielders of the dark side of the Force, were ancient enemies of the light side-aligned Jedi Order, believed to be destroyed after the final conflict in 1032 BBY. In secret, they survived and plotted revenge against the Jedi and Republic. Sidious was, in fact, Sheev Palpatine, who orchestrated the invasion of his homeworld to secure his election as Supreme Chancellor. The Jedi became aware of the Sith's continued existence during the Naboo crisis when Jinn and Kenobi encountered Darth Maul, Sidious' apprentice, engaging him in a duel during the Battle of Naboo. Maul killed Jinn but was defeated by Kenobi, who was subsequently promoted to Jedi Knight. Jedi Master Mace Windu and Grand Master Yoda, aware of the Sith Rule of Two, knew another Sith existed after Maul's defeat but lacked clues about their identity or role. Kenobi took Anakin Skywalker, a Force-sensitive former slave discovered by Jinn on Tatooine, as his Padawan. Palpatine also showed interest in the boy. ### The Separatist Crisis Palpatine's ultimate ambition was to establish a Galactic Empire with himself as its [Emperor](/article/emperor], initiating a galaxy-wide war to achieve this. Maul's successor was Darth Tyranus, formerly Dooku, a Jedi Master who embraced his birthright as Count of Serenno after leaving the Jedi Order. Sidious and Dooku conspired to destabilize the Republic through a civil war that would advance the Sith's agenda. Sifo-Dyas, a former member of the Jedi High Council who had been removed for advocating the creation of a Jedi army, had foreseen the war planned by the Sith. He contacted the Kaminoans, cloning specialists from the remote extragalactic planet Kamino, and commissioned an army, falsely claiming it was an official Jedi and Republic request. Dooku then murdered Sifo-Dyas through the Pyke Syndicate and assumed control of the project, posing as a Jedi to the Kaminoan government. He hired Jango Fett as the clone template. Although the clone troopers were engineered to age rapidly, the army's decade-long development set the timeline for the Sith's next phase. Dooku incited anti-Republic sentiment in the Outer Rim Territories, leading the Independent Movement for Self-Determination. The Jedi remained unaware of Dooku's fall, perceiving him as a political idealist. In 24 BBY, Dooku used a HoloNet relay in the Raxus system to deliver the Raxus Address, condemning the Republic's corruption and favoring of the Core Worlds. Following the speech, Dooku established the Confederacy of Independent Systems, initiating the Separatist Crisis. Although the Confederacy had a parliament, Dooku and the Executive Separatist Council, comprising representatives from galactic megacorporations like the Trade Federation, led it. Palpatine's term as Chancellor was extended to manage the crisis, as thousands of star systems seceded to join the Confederacy. Amidala joined the Loyalist Committee, a group of Senators advising the chancellor, as the crisis persisted for two years. The Military Creation Act, proposing a full Republic Military after a millennium of its absence, was introduced in the Senate. Amidala strongly opposed it. Nute Gunray, still seeking Amidala's demise, demanded her assassination as a condition for the Trade Federation's loyalty to the Confederacy. Dooku tasked Jango Fett, whom he had used for various assignments, with the task on Coruscant. Fett subcontracted the job to Zam Wesell, a Clawdite associate. ## Wesell's attempts ### Platform bombing Thanks to Captain Gregar Typho's foresight, now Amidala's security head, the assassination attempt, similar to the one six years earlier, failed to claim Senator Amidala's life. Typho had Amidala replaced by her handmaiden Cordé, while Amidala flew one of the three escorting N-1 starfighters. Just seconds after Typho began to think there was no danger, Wesell detonated a massive explosion, destroying the barge and killing Cordé, fellow handmaiden Versé, and six members of the Royal Naboo Security Forces, including Lieutenant Theomet Danlé and Mett Habble. R2-H7, one of the barge's astromechs, was damaged by debris, and one of the N-1 starfighters was knocked off the platform. Mortally wounded, Cordé apologized to Amidala for "failing," while Amidala assured her she didn't fail before the handmaiden died. Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine then requested the Jedi Council to assign Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi to protect Senator Amidala. Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker were assigned, although Skywalker was frustrated that the bombing investigation was not part of their mandate. Their protection prevented a second assassination attempt from succeeding. ### Apartment infiltration After the first failed attempt, Wesell met with Fett on a Trade Federation office tower's balcony to try again. Fett, suggesting a more subtle approach, provided Wesell with two kouhuns, venomous arthropods from Indoumodo capable of killing adult Humans. He warned her against further mistakes, as his client was growing impatient. Wesell placed the kouhuns in her ASN courier droid, ASN-121, and sent it to Amidala's bedroom. ASN-121 flew to the Senate apartment complex, bypassed the defensive shield on Amidala's window, cut through the glass, and released the arthropods. The kouhuns initially alerted R2-D2, but they blended into the bed frame, eluding the astromech droid's scans until he powered down. However, Kenobi and Skywalker, outside the bedroom, sensed the danger. Seconds before the kouhuns could bite Amidala, Skywalker burst in and bisected them with his lightsaber, waking the senator. Noticing the courier droid at the window, Kenobi jumped out and grabbed onto ASN-121 as it fled. Skywalker, instead of following, left Amidala with R2-D2 and sought another way to follow them. On a parking bay balcony, Skywalker hotwired an airspeeder (an XJ-6 airspeeder belonging to Senator Simon Greyshade of the Vorzyd sector) and began pursuit. ### Speeder chase Aware of the Jedi Knight clinging to it, ASN-121 tried to dislodge Kenobi, scraping him against the Champalan Embassy and dangling him in front of traffic. Kenobi held on, avoiding speeders (including one with Senator Bogg Tyrell and her guest Seboca, and another stolen by Magaloof) until they neared the Trade Federation office tower. Seeing the Jedi on her droid, Wesell used a KiSteer 1284 projectile rifle from her Koro-2 all-environment Exodrive airspeeder to shoot down her own droid, causing Kenobi to fall instead of being directly killed by a traceable slug. Anakin caught Obi-Wan on the XJ-6's trunk. Wesell started her speeder and fled, pursued by the Jedi. To escape, Wesell nosedived into the Corusca Circus, weaving through intersections into Coruscant's depths. Narrowly avoiding the Ultimo Vista, Skywalker followed her into industrial airspace, through the exhaust vents of a Kerdos Company recycling plant and the Greth Lan-Dwu Corp. electrical power-generating plant. Wesell used her KYD-21 blaster pistol to shoot power couplings, shocking the Jedi. Distancing herself, Wesell entered a skytunnel through a Huosnoughow Foundation skyscraper, which Skywalker bypassed. At the tunnel's end, Kenobi criticized Skywalker's decision when Skywalker jumped onto Wesell's speeder, whose pilot had relaxed. Wesell, startled, slowed down, flinging Anakin forward. She tried to shoot him off, but Anakin swung to the other side, prompting Wesell to accelerate. He held onto the canopy handle, glimpsing the Clawdite's disguise faltering. Anakin stabbed his lightsaber through the windscreen, but Wesell fired through the roof, causing him to drop it. Obi-Wan, driving closely behind, caught it. Weaponless, Anakin wrestled Wesell for her blaster pistol, causing her to misfire into her speeder's control pipes. With its propulsion systems on fire, Wesell's speeder plummeted to Vos Gesal Street. Skywalker fell off near the sidewalk and tumbled into crates, just before the speeder crashed into a statue's base. Wesell escaped and ran into the crowd, followed by Anakin through the Uscru Entertainment District. Obi-Wan landed the XJ-6 and met Anakin, who had tracked Wesell to the Outlander Club and deduced she was a changeling. Inside, they searched for her, Kenobi at the bar and Skywalker in the crowd, with lightsabers ready. After persuading Elan Sel'Sabagno to reconsider life as a slythmonger, Kenobi sensed Wesell approaching to shoot him. He spun around and ignited his lightsaber, cutting off her hand. Skywalker stopped the patrons from interfering, and the Jedi escorted her out. In the alleyway, Kenobi questioned Wesell, who admitted she was hired to kill a senator from Naboo but hesitated to name her contractor. After Skywalker pressed her, Wesell began to identify Fett but was silenced by a toxic saberdart fired by Fett. The Jedi saw Fett jetpack away and turned back to see Wesell's disguise revert to her Clawdite form. With her dying breath, Wesell cursed the "sleemo," leaving Fett unidentified. ## Aftermath Following the two failed attempts, Jango Fett retreated from Coruscant, taking the Slave I to Kamino to hide in Tipoca City. Simon Greyshade's XJ-6 airspeeder was returned undamaged, preventing charges against the Jedi, and the inquiry into its disappearance was halted. The second assassination attempt and the mystery convinced the Jedi High Council to assign Kenobi and Skywalker separate missions. Kenobi was to investigate Wesell's assassin and their contractors, and Skywalker was to guard Senator Amidala on Naboo. Kenobi tracked Fett using Wesell's murder weapon. He identified the dart as Kaminoan in origin with the help of Dexter Jettster, a Besalisk, after the Analysis Rooms in the Jedi Temple failed. Kenobi triangulated Kamino's location using Jettser's directions to outside the Rishi Maze and the gaps in the Jedi Archives' star maps.
Set off on your journey to the planet of legendary clone creators and uncover the truth about Jango Fett's background, as well as the genesis of a clone army commissioned under questionable circumstances, an army that would ultimately trigger the Clone Wars. To persuade Senator Amidala that she needed to seek refuge on Naboo, Mace Windu authorized Skywalker to enlist Chancellor Palpatine's help in swaying the senator, an offer to which the Chancellor consented. Amidala, Skywalker, and R2-D2 utilized public transit from the Port District to Theed, covertly traveling aboard the Jendirian Valley while posing as displaced persons. The trio would remain concealed with the Naberrie family within the Lake Country region until Skywalker guided them to Tatooine so he could ensure the well-being of his mother, Shmi, whom Anakin had perceived to be in danger through visions granted by the Force.