Bombing Suspect Captured in Imperial Raid

Raxus Prime, Tion Hegemony — A raid by Imperial and Tion Hegemony forces on what has been described as an "improvised arms factory" in orbit above Raxus Prime has resulted in the unexpected capture of Talri Nikani, a suspect believed responsible for a bombing on Coruscant last month that killed 27, including a squad of Imperial stormtroopers, and wounded 49 others. The "factory"—a modified Lucrehulk-class freighter—was discovered to contain bomb-making materials of the type used in the Coruscant bombing.

Lieutenant Garik Taynor of the Coruscant Security Force (CSF), the detective in charge of the investigation into the Coruscant bombing, said that he was "not at liberty to discuss the details of the case." However, an anonymous individual familiar with the investigation told The Coruscant Journal that Mr. Nikani, a person of interest in the bombing, resisted the raid with "a small army of battle droids" and "killed several" of the Imperial and Tion Hegemony forces. He was captured in the raid, however, and is now on his way to Imperial Center for questioning.

Imperial authorities confirmed the capture of Mr. Nikani and his suspected connection to the Coruscant bombing, but had no other comment.

Who Talri Nikani is, how he came into possession of a Lucrehulk-class freighter, and how he modified it into an "improvised arms factory" is not known at this hour. The Coruscant Journal has been able to confirm, however, from its correspondent in the Tion Hegemony, that the presence of the freighter over Raxus Prime was reported to authorities by the planets residents, who reported that the freighter was conducting what appeared to be a salvage and construction operation with large numbers of B1 and B2 battle droids—droids commonly used by the former Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars.

Mr. Nikani's connection to the Confederacy, if any, is a matter of speculation at this time. But witnesses on Raxus Prime told The Coruscant Journal that Mr. Nikani's operation was also seen using armored assault tanks ("AATs") and "C-9979" landing ships, both of these, too, commonly used by the Confederacy. Imperial and Tion Hegemony officials reportedly seized "hundreds" of these and similar weapons, droids, and vehicles in the raid, which was conducted by Hegemony forces at the request of the Empire and with the support of the Imperial Star Destroyer Marathon.

The Coruscant Journal will follow the story as it develops.