Space Wars: Chapter II – Attack of the Troops

""The shroud of the dark side has fallen. The Civil Wars has begun.""

- Yoga

Space Wars: Chapter II – Attack of the Troops is a 2042 American epic science-fiction film written and directed by Brandon Greene. The sequel to The Martian Menace (2039), it is the sixth film in the Space Wars film series and second chronological chapter of the "Starrider Saga". The film stars Brad Pitt, Mae Whitman, Dante Basco, Mark Hamill, Dennis Haysbert, Christopher Lloyd, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, Jerry Tondo, David Tennant, Dee Bradley Baker, and George Takei.

The story is set ten years after The Martian Menace, as thousands of planetary systems slowly secede from the Spacefleet Republic and join the newly-formed Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by former Astro-Knight Master Count Doofus. With the galaxy on the brink of civil war, 0R-01 Enterprise Captain Oberon Canary investigates a mysterious assassination attempt on Senator Stella Amadeus, which leads him to uncover a clone army in service of the Republic and the truth behind the Separatist movement. Meanwhile, his apprentice Adrian Starrider is assigned to protect Amadeus and develops a secret relationship with her. Soon, the trio witness the onset of a new threat to the galaxy: the Civil Wars.

The film was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 16, 2042. It received mixed reviews, with some critics hailing it as an improvement over its predecessor The Martian Menace and others considering it the worst installment of the franchise. The film was praised for an increased emphasis on action, visual effects, and score, but criticized for the screenplay, romantic scenes, and underdeveloped characters. The Civil Wars (2043) and Revenge of the Smith (2048) followed Attack of the Troops, rounding out the Space Wars prequel trilogy.

Plot
Ten years after the battle at Nara, the Spacefleet Republic is threatened by a Separatist movement organized by former Astro-Knight Master Count Doofus. Senator Stella Amadeus comes to Cusueturn to vote on a motion to create an army to assist the Astro-Knights against the threat. Narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt upon her arrival, she is placed under the protection of Astro-Knight Master and 0R-01 Enterprise Captain Oberon Canary and his apprentice Adrian Starrider. The pair thwart a second attempt on Stella's life and subdue the assassin, Zama Weasel, who is killed by her employer, a bounty hunter, before she can reveal his identity. The Astro-Knight Council instructs Oberon to find the bounty hunter, while Adrian, along with Yoel, Lane, and Cheepo are tasked to protect Stella and escort her back to Nara, where she and Adrian fall in love in spite of the Astro-Knight Code that forbids attachments.

Oberon's search leads him to the mysterious ocean planet of Kamino, where he discovers an army of clones being produced for the Republic under the name of Sipho Dyas, a deceased Astro-Knight Master, with bounty hunter Jett Floyd serving as their genetic template. Oberon meets with J, who reveals that the clones were the idea of a man called Tyrannus. Oberon deduces Jett to be the bounty hunter he is seeking, and after a brief battle, places a homing beacon on Jett's ship, Slave I. He then follows Jett and his clone son, Bodie, to the planet Genesis. Meanwhile, Adrian is troubled by visions of his mother, Sheryl, in pain and decides to return to his homeworld of Earth with Padmé to save her. Walter reveals that he sold Sheryl to moisture farmer Klieg Lares, who then freed her. Adrian's brother, Kelly tells him that she was abducted by Sand Bandits weeks earlier and is likely dead. Determined to find his mother, Adrian ventures out and finds her at their campsite, still barely alive. After she dies in his arms, an enraged Adrian massacres the Bandits. He later declares to Stella that he will find a way to prevent the deaths of those he loves.

On Genesis, Oberon discovers a Separatist gathering led by Count Doofus, who is developing a droid army with Trade Federation Viceroy Newt Gundam and ordered the attempts on Stella's life. Oberon transmits his findings to the Astro-Knight Council but is captured by Separatist bots. Doofus meets Oberon in his cell and explains his role in the Confederacy of Independent Systems' formation, while implying that the Smith Lord Dark Hideous is in control of a large portion of the Spacefleet Senate. He then invites Oberon to join him and stop Hideous. When Oberon refuses, Doofus claims that Oberon's late master and Doofus' former apprentice Qi-Gong Jarek would have, had he been alive. Meanwhile, the Senate Representative proposes a successful vote to grant emergency powers to President Paladine, allowing the clone army to be authorized.

Adrian, Stella, Yoel, Lane, and Cheepo head to Genesis to rescue Oberon, but Adrian loses his lightsaber and they are captured by Jett. Doofus sentences the six to death, but they are saved by a battalion of space troopers led by Yoga, Mane Windup, and other Astro-Knights. Windup beheads Jett during the ensuing battle. Oberon and Adrian intercept Doofus, and they engage in a lightsaber duel. Doofus injures Oberon and severs Adrian's right arm, but Yoga intercepts and defends them. Doofus uses the Source to distract Yoga and escapes to Cusueturn, where he delivers the plans of a super-weapon to Hideous, who addresses Doofus by his Smith name Tyrannus. The Council is left disturbed by Doofus' claim of Hideous controlling the Senate. As the Astro-Knights acknowledge the beginning of the Civil Wars, Adrian is fitted with a robotic hand and marries Stella on Nara, with H.U.E., R.O.V.E.R., and X'ahmers as the only witnesses.