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The Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill was the legislation to cease relying entirely on the clone troopers that were used by the Galactic Republic to volunteer and conscript soldiers from the general populace after it was deemed that the Kaminoan cloning project was financially unfeasible as there was no significant threat to the galaxy. However, without the Senate's knowledge, Admiral Edmon Rampart had already began recruiting new troops, whose numbers had grown substantially following the decommissioning of Kaminoan cloning facilities. During the final voting session, it was discovered that Rampart had embezzled funds to support the project and had ordered the attack on Kamino himself. Just as it seemed that the bill would be tabled once more, Emperor Palpatine appeared and passed it himself, declaring the era of the Imperial stormtrooper.

After having been rejected once before, the bill was up for vote once more, but opposition from Senators Riyo Chuchi, Bail Organa, and Tynnra Pamlo, as well as the Emperor's absence from the initial hearings, resulted in the vote being postponed. The bill also had support from the Commerce Guild and InterGalactic Banking Clan. Despite initially lacking provisions for the decommissioned troopers living arrangements and pensions, Rampart eventually included them in the final version of the bill, but later revealed to Grand Vizier Mas Amedda that he had no actual intention of providing the retired clones with benefits.

The revelation from Halle Burtoni, former senator of Kamino, that Rampart had embezzled Imperial funds meant for the cloning program to support a new conscripted military during the final voting session further threatened the bill, with Chuchi demanding an investigation into the missing funds. After it was further revealed that Rampart was responsible for the destruction of Kamino's cloning facilities, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda had Rampart arrested and forcibly removed from the Senate floor. Palpatine then appeared before the Senate and expressed his belief that Rampart's betrayal revealed the clones' inadequacy and tendency to blindly follow orders. With the Emperor expressing that a new army would indeed solve the issue, the Senate was tricked into ultimately voting for the bill.

Prelude[]

Main article: Project War-Mantle

Following the Clone Wars and the formation of the Galactic Empire,^[6] the Galactic Republic wartime Army, comprising millions of Kaminoan-made clone troopers, was left without a purpose, as the Confederacy of Independent Systems had been eradicated and along with it any significant threat to the galaxy. Specialized units, such as the Purge Troopers^[7] and Clone Force 99, were tested on whether they could continue operating against specific threats,^[8] while the rest of the army was charged with peacekeeping and cleanup operations, including the salvaging of Count Dooku's war chest from his Castle Serenno.^[9] Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Emperor Sheev Palpatine, however, believed that the clones couldn't be trusted in the long run, and deemed the cloning project financially unsupportable. As such, Admiral Edmon Rampart formed a secret project, codenamed War-Mantle, to recruit former Republic Commandos to train a new type of trooper for the Empire.^[10]

These new soldiers, codenamed TK stormtroopers, were fitted with experimental armor and trained in an Imperial Base on Daro.^[10] Although it was the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill that would formally establish a military of civilian recruits,^[2] the project was well underway in secret during debates about the bill.^[4] Without the Senate's knowledge,^[2] recruited troops had already begun seeing deployment instead of clones in certain cases, including to Desix,^[4] Thabeska, and Raada,^[11] before the bill's passage.^[4][12]

Description[]

The Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill^[13] proposed the formalization of the Imperial Military's transition from a force made up entirely of clone personnel, to a recruitment and conscription-based force comprised of Imperial citizens. In the process, old clone troopers would be gradually decommissioned and replaced with non-clone soldiers. Despite initially lacking provisions for the decommissioned troopers' living arrangements and pensions,^[1] Rampart eventually included them in the final version of the bill as suggested by Senator Riyo Chuchi, who represented the clones. However, Rampart would later reveal to Grand Vizier Mas Amedda that he did not have any actual intention of providing retired clones with pensions.^[2]

Reception[]

Opposition[]

The bill was rejected three times before finally reaching a vote on the Imperial Senate floor. During the hearings, Senators Bail Organa of Alderaan, Tynnra Pamlo of Taris, and Riyo Chuchi of Pantora passionately objected to the law. Pamlo and Organa believed that since the Clone Wars were over, there was no need to discuss a new army and that more pressing matters needed to be solved first. Chuchi, on the other hand, believed that it was unfair to discuss the replacement of the troopers without giving them a say in the matter or offering financial and social support after their decommissioning. Due to this opposition, the vote was postponed.^[1]

During the voting session, Senator Chuchi brought Halle Burtoni, the former Senator of Kamino, before the Senate, where she testified of Rampart's mishandling of Imperial funds. Senator Organa also presented new evidence, in the form of Rampart's Venator-class Star Destroyer's command log, which proved Rampart's direct involvement in Tipoca City's destruction. This news resulted in an uproar against the Admiral and the bill being threatened; however, Emperor Palpatine's appearance and speech resulted in its passage.^[2]

Support[]

After being proposed to the Imperial Senate, the bill received enthusiastic support from two corporate senators, the enthusiastic support from two corporate senators, the Commerce Guild representative and Senator Gani Riduli of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. At least in private, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda also supported it. Emperor Palpatine, however, was absent from the initial debate sessions.^[1]

The revelations of Rampart's private use of Imperial funds intended for the Kaminoan cloning facilities and his role in the destruction of Tipoca City during the voting session resulted in his arrest on Emperor Palpatine's orders. Immediately after, Palpatine gave a speech before the Senate, explaining his sadness for Rampart's treasonous actions and reminding to the Senate that he hadn't acted alone; the clones under his command had blindly followed his orders despite knowing them to be wrong. He suggested that although misguided, Rampart's bill was true in spirit and that a new conscript army would avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Following his speech, the Senate enthusiastically voted for the bill, which passed.^[2]

Clone reception[]

Prior to the mission to Desix, two clone stormtroopers talked about the bill being up for a vote again and hoped it failed for their sakes.^[4] When Senator Riyo Chuchi visited 79's, a cantina on Coruscant that catered to clones, the clone stormtrooper patrons expressed outrage at the idea of the bill. One trooper expressed his eagerness to continue his military service, and wished to be sent to fight insurgent groups that were forming in the Mid and Outer Rims. Other clones expressed that the very idea of retirement was unthinkable and something that they were never trained to consider.^[1]

Passage[]

During the final voting session, Chuchi brought Halle Burtoni, former Senator of Kamino before the Senate to testify on Rampart's appropriation of the Senate Defense Committee's funds. Bail Organa also arrived with the command log which he presented before the Senate, solidifying their objections to the bill and belief on Rampart's guilt concerning the destruction of Tipoca City. With all evidence pointing against him, Mas Amedda had Rampart arrested and forcibly removed from the floor.^[2]

Emperor Palpatine, however, rose up to the floor and used Rampart's actions to garner support for the bill and passed it himself using his supreme authority over the Senate, eliminating another crucial remnant of the Republic and declaring the age of the Imperial Stormtrooper had now begun.^[2]

Aftermath[]

At some point after the approval of the bill, Captain Bragg escorted a trio of clones out of the Imperial Inspectorate HQ on Coruscant and claimed that the Empire thanked them for their years of service and wished them well on their retirement. When a trooper sarcastically claimed that it was a forced retirement and asked what the clones were supposed to do now, Bragg stated that they ought to direct their questions and concerns to the Imperial Information Bureau.^[15]

During the Imperial summit on Eriadu, Dr. Royce Hemlock mentioned that, as more clones would gradually be decommissioned from the Imperial Military, they could become potential candidates for his series of experiments at the Tantiss Base on Mount Tantiss. When asked if the clones would have a choice on their participation, Hemlock insisted that they were Imperial property and could simply be forced to.^[16]

Appearances[]

• Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "The Solitary Clone" (First mentioned)
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "The Clone Conspiracy" (Mentioned only)
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "Truth and Consequences" (First appearance) (First identified as Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill)

Sources[]

• This Week! in Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures Release Date, Billy Dee Williams Joins Star Wars Celebration Europe, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
• 5 Things Star Wars: The Bad Batch Has Revealed About the Rise of the Empire on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
• Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill in the Databank (backup link)
• Senator Gani Riduli in the Databank (backup link)

Notes and references[]