Klepacki took a brief hiatus to work on solo albums, then joined Petroglyph Games as full-time audio director in 2004. He prepared by becoming versed in the job's requirements and demands. His first task was scoring "", Petroglyph's launch title; he also helped select voice actors. A die-hard fan of the "Star Wars" franchise, Klepacki enjoyed complementing John Williams's style as he worked with sound effects used in the feature films. He worked closely with programmers to ensure perfect aural functionality. Though most of the game's score is John Williams's work, Klepacki estimates that he contributed 20% original material. Apart from the main theme, he aimed to minimize his editing in order to retain the classic "Star Wars" sound. He chiefly composed for new areas of the "Star Wars" universe only found in "Empire at War". He calls his work on the game "the peak of my career," and felt he had spent his entire life grooming his abilities for that soundtrack. As a perk of composing, he visited Skywalker Ranch and Industrial Light and Magic, and took pride in having his name associated with an official "Star Wars" product.