Warning! This story arc recap page contains unmarked spoilers! Read at your own peril!
List of episodes in this story arc
"An Old Friend"note Originally developed as the sixth episode of season five.(first of a three-parter)
"The Rise of Clovis"note Originally developed as the seventh episode of season five.(second of a three-parter)
"Crisis at the Heart"note Originally developed as the eighth episode of season five.(third of a three-parter)
Tropes:
The Bad Guy Wins: Similar to the Order 66 Arc, Palpatine achieves another victory for his future Empire, this time to have control of the banks so the Republic can be saved from bankruptcy and have all the funds he needs to keep the Empire's peace.
Call-Forward: Anakin's intense jealousy towards Clovis throughout the arc, and the resultant fracturing of his and Padmé's relationship, heavily foreshadows the fatal breakdown of their relationship in Revenge of the Sith.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: A war is expensive, and the Clovis arc is dedicated entirely to the Republic trying to keep the bank loans coming, or, as they openly state, they'd lose. At the end of the arc, the main branch of the Inter Galactic Banking Clan is nationalized by the Republic, meaning the Separatists won't get loans for their war effort anymore and the Republic itself is saved from bankruptcy. In the following episodes, the Republic gains a decisive advantage in months, leading to the Outer Rim Sieges, the Separatists' prolonged Last Stand, and desperate moves such as the attacks against Anaxes and Coruscant to try and shock the Republic into surrendering.
