Galactic Republic Territory Expansion on the Outer Rim, huh? Basically fruitless, because even if they remembered those worlds were there, most of them turned out to serve minor use. To the law, anyway. Plenty of use to scoundrels spies and assorted ner'dwells. Pity. Thrawn(or rather, his clone) saw it. The invasion. The conquest. The..Yuzz'han Vong.
I meant more of the shady behavior of the republic strong arming neutral/remote planets during the Clone Wars into the goverment just to call them theirs instead of the Sepratists. I mean, these poor farming and small agricultural centered planets who had nothing to do with core politics are living completely independent lifestyles until the Republic landed there and would be like “You gotta help shelter us and become part of us so the Sepratists don’t attack you! We’ll protect you!”
To which they go, “Uhhh? What? What Sepratists?” Que the Sepratists landing directly after and going “Hey sup, heard you were housing republic military so now we’re gonna wreck your shit.”
Like… TEHY WOUDLDNT HAVE NEEDED YOUR PROTECTION IFF YOU HADNT COME!? AHWYS WHY DID YOU COMPROMISE THEM!? Theres a couple episodes in the clone wars that sorta show this happening in varying degree.
Not to mention theres a whole council of ambassadors representing Neutral planets in this war.
Who make the point that MOST of the battles between armies are FOUGHT on their land, in assumption that the winning prize is its planet and system.