General Kalani

"This is Kalani. I Assure you he will succeed where you have failed."

- Count Dooku to King Rash Sanjay. "The order will be restored...."

- General Kalani

"Rex: After Clone Order 66 the whole droid army was given a shut-down command. How are you even operating? Kalani: The Jedi betrayal ended the war for most of the galaxy. But here on Agamar, I assumed it was a Republic trick and prevented the shut-down command."

- Kalani to Captain Rex, revealing how he survived the Clone Wars

General Kalani is the one of the main antagonists in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 and the true main antagonist in Onderon Arc. He is a Super Tactical Droid that was an upgraded model of the T-series tactical droid used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems as a battle droid commander during the Clone Wars. Kalani was one of the last surviving commanders of the CIS army after the Galatic Empire rose to power.

Kalani returns in Star Wars Rebels Season 3 episode The Last Battle as the main antagonist turned protagonist when he and Rex learn that both the CIS and Republic were just pawns in Palpatine's plan to form the Galactic Empire.

Official Background
Early in the Clone Wars, the Separatist droid army was often led into war by analytically-minded tactical droids. Before long, the Republic was able to outmaneuver the tactical droids by exploiting their reliance on precise calculation and lack of imagination when dealing with the unexpected. Furthermore, the droids were spindly mechanics whose heads could be yanked off and scoured for vital combat data. Super tactical droids, like General Kalani, were an improvement over the standard tactical droid. Kalani's advanced processors and robust frame made him a threat to be reckoned with. Super tactical droids were created for the Separatist Alliance in the Clone Wars to address shortcomings in the T-series tactical droid. They stood 1.94 meters tall and were programmed to resist interrogation.

History
"As you wish, my lord."

- Kalani to Count Dooku.

Kalani was a super tactical droid, a battle droid that stood out with better processors and a more robust physique than the standard tactical droids that were used at the beginning of the Clone Wars. As a successful commander of the Confederacy of Independent Systems who reached his victories through his analytical approach, the droid earned the respect of Count Dooku, the leader of the Separatists.

In the course of the war the Separatists took control of the planet Onderon, appointed Sanjay Rash as the new king of the world and occupied the capital, Iziz. However, the troops stationed there failed to stop the emerging rebel movement, which campaigned against the occupation of their homeworld and called for the restoration of Rash's predecessor, Ramsis Dendup.

After the resistance fighters had destroyed the power generator for Iziz, Rash feared that he and his allies would soon be involved in an open conflict. Therefore, he called for reinforcement from Count Dooku in order to keep his people under control and defeat the rebels that were better organized than at the beginning of the resistance. Dooku secured him better droids, but doubted the king's skills as a commander, so he also sent Kalani to replace the king as commander. Dooku was convinced that the super tactical droid would compensate for Rash's failures and could strengthen the defense of the occupation force. In order to test Kalani, four droid gunships were provided to conduct surgical strikes against the rebels.

After his arrival Kalani discussed with Rash and General Tandin, the leader of Onderon Royal Militia, the strategy that should speed up their offensive against the resistance. Tandin rejected the interference of the Separatists in the affairs of his home world; he wanted to keep the conflict localized. He refused Kalani's military support and tactical advice since the droid only showed interest in its own military success on Onderon.

Against the Rebellion
"It's just a matter of time until they are eliminated."

- Kalani discussing over the rebels.

After the arrival of reinforcements on Onderon the rebels succeeded in destroying a droid convoy. As a result, Kalani met with the Tandin, Rash, and his advisor Okalin in the throne room of the royal palace. The super tactical droid represented in the discussion represented the view that the resistance was not to be regarded as a threat, and was convinced that his droids would defeat the movement in the foreseeable future. He also suspected that the rebellion would find supporters within Tandin's army. The commander of the Onderon militia laid the blame on the Separatists for the adverse course of the campaign as they had not yet managed to stop the rebels. Rash refused to negotiate with opponents of his reign.

Kalani demanded to know more about the alleged leaders of the movement: the siblings Steela and Saw Gerrera and Lux Bonteri. As Kalani learned that Bonteri, the son of former Senator of Onderon, was also involved in the resistance, he demanded of Tandin the reason why he had not been informed about it. Rash interrupted their dispute to send for Dendup to himself, as he saw the former king responsible for the rebellion. Kalani asked Dendup to end the resistance of his followers. Dendup denied leading the rebels, and Rash ordered to execute the previous monarch as an example in Yohlan Square the following day.

The night before the execution battle droids captured Saw Gerrera while he was trying to free Dendup. He was taken to the palace and subjected to torture by electric shocks as the super tactical droid interrogated him for the location of the other rebels. Tandin eventually intervened, fearing that Gerrera would be killed by the extreme torture, losing their only link to the rebels. The droid suspected that Tandin pitied the rebels, but the general saw this tactic as the only way to effectively advance their cause without acting against the will of the people.

On the day of Dendup's execution, Kalani accompanied Rash, Dendup and two Magna Guards to Yohlan Square, which was guarded by numerous battle droids. The rebels managed to prevent the execution, freed the former king and attacked the droids. Kalani still managed to alert security before he was thrown to the ground. Super battle droids then prevented the rebels from escaping. After the rebels had surrendered to the Kalani's command, the execution was to commence with Dendup and the captured fighters.

Before the execution could begin again, Tandin and the Onderon Royal Militia betrayed Kalani; Kalani and his battle droids threatened him while Tandin took Rash hostage. Although this started to free the king, it stopped by the guards. The commander of the militia and his troops gave the rebels the possibility of escape. Kalani ordered his droids to kill Tandin as soon as he released Rash. This was again interrupted by the Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who incapacitated the droids with a power surge and escaped with Tandin. The droids tried to pursue the fugitives, but the crowd blocked their way.

Summary
"The fear will bring them back."

- General Kalani talking about the protests of the people.

General Kalani was a super tactical droid in operation during the Clone Wars. Around 20 BBY, he was sent by Count Dooku to help King Sanjay Rash of Onderon to crush those who resisted the occupation CIS. When Count Dooku thought Sanjay Rash, King of Onderon, needed a better general deal with local rebellion, he attributed Kalani to join Rash on the planet.How a super tactical droid, Kalani demanded that he be informed of all available data. When Tandin, native of Rash general, showed no evidence of rebel leaders Onderon, and Steela Saw Gerrera, Kalani argued that he was being provided with insufficient information. Although Tandin defended Rash to allow the military to deal with the rebels, Kalani refused, stating that they may have sympathizers within the military.

After Saw Gerrera was captured while trying to rescue the former king, Ramsis Dendup, Kalani and Tandin.

oversaw his torture and interrogation. When Tandin showed compassion for pain Gerrera, Kalani was puzzled, but impressed.Kalani was later present when Rash have tried Dendup publicly executed. The tactical droid super correctly calculated that the rebels would attack and was able to capture them using an ambush by B2 super battle droids. Tandin, however, turned against Rash, and with the help of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano was able to escape the ambush Kalani.

The resistance soon began to intensify their efforts. Dendup announced to all Iziz via holograms tyrannical government Rash and asked that they support the rebels. The common people then began Onderonian riots throughout the city. Rash the began to worry that the droid army will spread too thin to combat both the rebels and the riots. Kalani began his solution and orchestrated an attack against the rebel hideout with newly designed droid helicopters. After the attack failed due to interference of the Jedi and the pirate Hondo Ohnaka, Kalani was present when King Rash again appealed to Dooku for further assistance. Dooku briefed by Kalani on the situation before agreeing to Onderon was a lost cause and ordering out the separatist forces there to Agamar. Kalani then unceremoniously raised a blaster and shot the deluded king in the chest, killing him.

The Empire
At the end of the Clone Wars, Kalani was on Agamar when the entire droid army was given an unexpected shut down command. Assuming it was a Republic trick, Kalani prevented the shut down command and thus, he and his forces on Agamar remained active and in hiding for years after the war. However, Kalani did not consider the Clone Wars finished and was determined to end it the way he planned it one way or another.

Eventually, Commander Rex, Ezra Bridger, Kanaan, Zeb and Chopper arrived looking for supplies for the Rebel Alliance. Kalani's droids captured them and brought them to him. Kalani ordered Rex and the Jedi to compete in "The end of the Clone Wars" or else he would kill Zeb. The Jedi and Clone beat Kalani's game but when the Empire arrived, Ezra asked Kalani what the CIS fought for. Kalani replied that the CIS fought to free the Galaxy from the tyranny of the Republic. Ezra stated that the Republic had become the Galactic Empire and no longer needed the clone armies anymore, in other words Ezra and his allies were not Kalani's enemies. When Kalani realized that he was just a pawn of Palpatine's plans, he and his droids joined forces with the heroes and helped them escape. In the end, Kalani and his droids went their seperate way while the heroes returned to the Rebellion. It is actually unknown if Kalani and his droids, or any other surviving CIS holdouts will return in a later episode or eventually join the Rebellion.

Description
"Do not underestimate our power. If the rebel army is destroyed, the citizens lost courage. And then the order will be restored."

- General Kalani to King Sanjay Rash.

Kalani was considered as the commander of the Separatist on the intelligent implementation and the successful completion of its operations. In contrast to the standard Super Tactical Droid he presented his strategy not only through analytical calculations together with those in anticipation, the moves of his opponent, but also brought variations in its behavior in its plans and set changes in the game plan to immediately, for example, as the execution of Sanjay Rash was prevented by the rebels and Kalani reinforcement requested.

Therefore, the droid was trying to be informed of all developments and facts that affected its operation, and he was never adverse to using cut-throat strategies to defeat and demoralize his opponents. Tandin was of the opinion that Kalani could not create a alternative plan because he overestimated himself by his determined fight way and did not consider that the people of Onderon took an important role in his plans, because he, unlike Tandin no regard for the interests the population increased. Kalani started a hunt for terrorists and people who were connected or supported the cause terrorist were tortured, killed or imprisoned, around the entire planet of Onderon was chaos generating a global civil war, Kalani commanded the death of all rebels and civilians for crimes against Alliance Separatist generating a mass slaughter of thousands of innocents.

Trivia

 * Kalani shares the same supremacist mentality as SkyNet: robots being superior to humans in every possible way.
 * Kalani is the first of several Super Tactical Droids to appear in the series.
 * Kalani was voiced by Gregg Berger (AKA Grimlock, Odie, and MIB's Agent K season 2 onward).
 * Curiously, the name "Kalani" is also the name of the game developer Kalani Streicher who worked in several Star Wars games.