Report Suggests "Extermination" of Rogue Jedi

Coruscant — A classified New Republic report, obtained by The Coruscant Journal, recommends a secret task force to "exterminate" former Jedi who commit crimes or threaten the peace, and posits the "registration" of all Force sensitive beings. The recommendations prompted outrage from the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, as Master Streen called them "a betrayal of the rule of law, for which the New Republic stands, and which the Jedi endeavor to uphold." The document also includes correspondence from several prominent Senators in favor of the proposals, including Senator Borsk Fey'lya (Bothawui), the Chairman of the Justice Council, and Senator Sir Reuke Cambrist (Brentaal).

A rough draft of the report—written by Adoven Ryner, an official of the New Republic Diplomatic Corps scheduled to represent the Republic in negotiations with the Imperial Remnant at a summit at Morishim later this week—proposes a task force that will "... be responsible for hunting and exterminating Sith and Dark Jedi as well as bringing to justice rogue Force sensitives and Force users who may not inherently be evil but still cause damage or loss of life due to their reckless behaviours." Ryner cites as an example Kyp Durron, a Jedi Knight who, in 11 ABY, commandeered an Imperial superweapon and destroyed the planet Carida and its millions of inhabitants, an incident which tarnished the reputation of the Jedi Academy.

Dal Konur, Darwin Sky, and Desann are also cited as "rogue Jedi" who endangered New Republic citizens or policies.

Ryner's report does, however, draw a distinction between "rogue" Force sensitives and Sith and so called Dark Jedi. "We all know that imprisonment will do nothing for the Sith and Dark Jedi," the report explains, "only death will cease their heinous activities... Rehabilitation would also prove to be pointless unless we lobotomize them. Only 'rogue' Force sensitives and Force users who still follow the path of light have a chance of rehabilitation. They need to be apprehended and tried for whatever crimes they might have committed. Although that group might not deserve death, they need to be held responsible and pay for their actions."

The document concludes by posing the question of whether all Force sensitive individuals should be registered by the New Republic. "In the eventuality that they go rogue or literally turn evil, we'd have a file on hand with their information and this would facilitate their capture or termination," Ryner writes, "This would prevent the repeat of past incidents."

Jedi Master Luke Skywalker was away from the Academy and unavailable for comment, but Master Streen told The Coruscant Journal that the report's recommendations were "... reminiscent of the Old Republic's preparations for Order 66, the extermination of the Jedi," and that they "disregard basic liberties and due process." Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom was also not available for comment, but his office expects him to make a statement on the matter in tomorrow's session of the Senate. "Until then," remarked a spokesman for Gavrisom, "all we can say is that Mr. Ryner does not necessarily speak for the administration on this matter."

General Airen Cracken, the Director of New Republic Intelligence (NRI), said that he was unfamiliar with the report. "There are no current discussions about the formation of such a task force," he explained when reached at his office.

Senator Borsk Fey'lya, who is listed in the report as a nominal supporter of its recommendations, did not respond to requests for comment. Senator Sir Reuke Cambrist, however, did. "I am broadly in favor of strong, innovative measures to protect the public from the rampages of 'Rogue' Jedi, or 'Dark' Jedi, or 'Misunderstood' Jedi, or whatever one wishes to call them," he told the Journal, "I am not familiar with the specific proposals in this document, but the problem that it addresses is very real." Senator Cambrist has proposed similar measures in the past, including a ban on Force sensitive individuals from serving in public office (which was defeated in the Senate).

Mr. Ryner's report is the most recent in a series of animosities between the New Republic and the Jedi, beginning with the Kyp Durron incident 9 years ago. Most recently, the marriage of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade (the former "Emperor's Hand"), scheduled for next month, has led some to fear the establishment of a new, hereditary Force "Empire." Plans to construct a new Jedi Temple on Coruscant this year have also been stalled amid criticism of a percieved projection of Jedi power—and a coalition of real estate owners decried the proposed structure as an eyesore.

The Coruscant Journal will continue to report on the fallout from the Ryner report as it develops this week.